When Astra Fell

Between Duty and Desire

Damon’s P.O.V

I looked down at Lyric with a quiet smile. “Hey again.”

She returned the smile, a little shy but with something daring in her eyes. “Hey… I was wondering… do you want to come on tour with me? Be my bodyguard?”

Her voice had this soft, hopeful edge—like she needed me to say yes. I shrugged, trying to keep my cool. “Sounds better than standing around in some hotel lobby.”

She laughed—a breathy, genuine sound that made something inside me shift. “Awesome!”

Her eyes caught mine, and there was this little twinkle there that made me want to reach out and pull her closer. Instead, I just shook my head, pretending not to notice. “Alright. I’m ready when you are.”

Lyric’s P.O.V

I sighed, stepping onto the bus and stretching out my arms like I was shaking off a storm. “Nothing new, nothing old,” I murmured to myself as I walked inside.

I glanced over at Damon. “So, Damon… what’s up?”

He gave me that half-smile of his, the one that made my heart skip. “Not much, except now I’m officially your personal bodyguard.”

I grinned and made my way to the living area, collapsing onto the couch. “We’ve got, like, 72 hours before the next stop. Anything you wanna do?”

He shrugged lazily. “Got any video games?”

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Who doesn’t?”

I knelt by my suitcase and pulled out three consoles: a PS4, Wii, and Xbox One. I set them down with a flourish, like a magician revealing her tricks.

Damon laughed, already powering up the PS4 and diving into the game. I settled in at my desk, pulling out my sketchpad and pencils. I loved these quiet moments—this was the only time I felt just a girl, not a superstar.

A few hours later, Damon was still battling virtual enemies, grumbling about how the game kept kicking his ass.

“Need a break?” I teased, glancing up from my drawing.

He groaned but didn’t look away from the screen. “Not yet. I’m close to beating this level.”

I smirked and stood up, stretching. “Suit yourself.”

I slipped to the back of the bus to change into something more comfortable—a black tank top and soft pants. When I came back out, Damon finally paused the game and looked up.

“Looking good,” he said, eyes darkening just a little.

I felt my cheeks heat up, and I caught myself biting my lip. “Thanks.”

He leaned back on the couch, eyes never leaving me. “You ever think about just… ditching it all? The fame, the noise, the manager?”

I shrugged, walking over to sit beside him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating off his body.

“Sometimes,” I admitted quietly. “But then I think about how far I’ve come. How many people expect me to be perfect.”

He nodded, voice low. “Yeah, but you’re more than that. You don’t have to be perfect around me.”

I looked up at him, my heart hammering, and for a moment, the whole bus felt like it was just the two of us.

He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers grazing my cheek.

“Don’t tell me you’re already regretting asking me to come on tour,” he whispered.

I swallowed hard, the space between us crackling with something electric. “Not at all.”